Dishwashing machine



April 12, 1932 w. R.'wA| KER I 1,853,589

DI SHWASHING MACHINE Filed May l, 1929 3 SheetS-Shee(l l Wir/V555 i* i v lgro EYs April 12, 1932- w. R. WALKER l 1,853,589

DI SHWASHING MACHINE Filed May 1, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WM )v//wcss BY@ ATTOEYS INVENTOR.

April 12, 1932. w. R. WALKER 1,853,589

DISHWASHING MACHINE Patented pr. l2, 1932 UNITED ls-TATIEIS WILLARD WALXR, orv sYRAcUsE, NEW Yom:

DISHWASHING MGHIINE Application led May' 1,

This invention relates to a dishwashing machine of the class set forth in my Patent No. 1,724,383, August 13, 1929, in which the washing fluid is impelled upwardly through open mesh dish-supporting trays or baskets within a suitable vat, the impeller being directly connected to and actuated by a suitable motor at the underside of the bottom of the vat.

One of the objects is to establish a relatively short direct connection between the impeller and motor so thatthe impeller may be driven at the same rate of speed as the revolving part of the motorwith a minimum lil torque and at the same time to place the motor and impeller into more compact relation and more nearly in the same horizontal plane than has heretofore been practiced.

Another object is to suspend the motor di rectly from the bottom of the vat and in such mannerthat the vibration of the motor and bottom of the vat incidentalto the o'p'er-` ation of the motor and impeller will be reduced to a minimum.

In otherwwords, I have sought to'establish caseand bottom of the vat by tapering the upper end of the motor case or' its supporting frame and nesting said tapered end in a vcomplementary tapered socket or recess in the bot'- tom of the vat so that the contiguous parts may reenforce and'brace each other against vertical or lateral vibration.

A further object is to provide the bottom of the vat with an upwardly tapered center portion and an upwardly flaring outer portion integrally united to each other at their junctions around thev outside of the motor case to not only form an annular trough in which 4o the impeller is rotatable but also to brace the internal upwardly tapered portion which supports the motor against lateral vibration;

' Another-'object is to provide the outer upwardly flaring portion of the bottom of the vat with a valve-controlled drainage outlet section having overflow means limitin the volume of water within the vat to a pre etermined level below the apex ofthe central upwardly tapered portion of the bottom.

a relatively broad area of contact, both hori zontally and vertically, between the motor 1929. semi No. 359,563.

and overflow section with means. for indi-` eating the level of the water within the vat. A further object is toprovidethe outer upwardly flaring portion ofthe bottom of the vat with a valve-controlled water inlet enterling the vat at a level slightly above the level of the overflow passage. Other objects and uses relating to specificA parts of the machine 'will be brought outin the following description.

' In the drawings L Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mechanical dishwasher embodying the various features of my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken in the plane of line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical sectional view taken in the plane of line 3-.-3, Figure 2. Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken in the plane of line 4 4, FigureI 3.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken in the planeof line 5-5, Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken in the plane o'fline 6 6, Figure 4. Figures 7 and 8 are enlarged detail vertical sectional views taken in theplanes of lines 7-7 and 8 8, Figure 2. x

Figure 9 is a detail horizontalf sectional View taken in the plane of line 9 9, Figure 3.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of the detachedimpellershown in top plan in'Figure 2. t

As illustrated, this machine comprise/s an `upright cylindrical vat lof sheet metal or other suitable material having its upper end provided with a lid 2 and its bottom provided with a central upwardly tapered or conical portion 3 and an outer upwardly flaring portion 4 integrally united to the lower marginal edge of the tapered portion 3 and its outer marginal edge secured to the peripheral Walls of the vat to form a watertight joint therewith thereby forming an annular trough 5 in which theimpeller, presently described, 95 is rotatable. The angle of the vertex of the central upwardly taperedportion 3 is less than ninety degrees so-that the angle between its inclined Anotherobject is to provide this dramage sides and axis is less than forty-five degrees, m0

the object being to aiford a relatively sturdy and self-stifening support for an electric motor as 6.

The upward taper of the central portion 3 of the bottom of the vat forms a correspondingly upwardly tapered or conical recess 7 in which the motor supporting frame or case is nested.

AThat is, the motor case is provided with an upwardly tapered extension or supporting frame 8 complementary to the taper of the recess 7 in which it is seated or nested to firmly ing being extended through registering openings in the upper end of the motor case 8 and apex ofthe conical portion 3 and having yits upper end threaded and engaged bythe nut 9 so that when the nut is tightened it will draw the upper end or apex of the frame 8 against the underside of the apex of the conical portion 3 while the nut 9 will engage the upper surface of the apex of said conical portion 3.

It is now evident that the entire inotor 1s suspended from the apex of the conical por- .tion 3 through the medium of the bushing 10 and nut 11 and that the motor may be removed by the simple operation of loosening the nut 9 or reversely replaced by the tightening of this nut, it being understood that the engagement of the upwardly tapered portion of the frame 8 with the correspondingly tapered portion 3 of the bottom of the vat serves to hold the motor. and also the adjacent portions of the bottom of the vat against lateral vor vertical vibration. and that the strains due to the weight ofthe motorpon the-conical portion 3, is transmitted more or less to the peripheral walls of the vat through the medium ofthe upwardly Haring portion 4 of the V bottom.

" This constructiony is particularly sturdy' and enables the motor to be brought close to the impeller thereby greatly reducing the torque upon the motor shaft.

The motor is provided with a relatively short vertical shaft 12 extending through a central openin in the bushing 10 and nut 9 and upwardly/(beyond said nut for receiving and supporting a rotary impeller 13.

The upper end of the shaft 12 extends into a socket 14 in the lower end ofthe hub of the,

impelle'riand is preferably corrugated at 15 for interlocking engagement with similar corrugations in the walls of the socket 14 for establishing spline connections between the shaft and impeller for rotating the latter, the upper end of the hub of the Iimpeller being closed across the top of the shaft 12 to reduce the liability of leakage ofthe water from the interior of the vat along said shaft.

It willbe evident, however, that the firm engagement and close fitting of the upper end of the frame 8 and nut 9 against the lower and upper facesof the apex of the conical 'tion 3 but in spac'ed relation thereto to avoid friction therewith as the impeller is rotated. A pair of similar but reversely arranged impeller blades 13 are secured to the periphery of the lower or larger end of the skirt 13 and are of special construction to enable the water to be thrown upwardly through the dish-supporting trays with consideraile force and with a minimum power as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The outer upwardly flaring bottom portion 4 is provided near its junction with the lower end of the conical ortioii 3 with a drainage outlet 18 surroun ed by a downwardly extending flange 19 registering with a similar opening in the upper end of a. combined drainage and overflow shell -20 preferably of cast metal. The upper end of the shell 2O extends from the bottoin of the conical portion 3 to the periphery of the outwardly and upwardly flaring 'bottoni portion 4 and is secured to the underside thereof and to the peripheral wall of the vat by screws or bolts 21, Figure 2,

and 21, Figure 4.

Thatis, the flange 19 is preferably formed upon a separate ring 19 which is secured to the upper face of the adjacent portion of thel bottom of the vat by the screws 21, see Figures 4 and 7.

This casting 20'is mainly hollow and extends downwardly from the bottom portion 4 to about the level of the bottom of the motor 6 and is provided with a reduced lower end having a drainage outlet conduit 22 adapted to hbe connected to any available soil pipe, not shown.

The upper end of the casting extends laterally and upwardly some distance beyond the drainage opening 18 and is provided with an o'utwardl7 and upwardly inclined partition 23 divi ing the interior of the casting into upper and lower chambers24 and 24 the outer portions of said chambers being the chamber 24U connectedby an overflow passage 25 adjacent the outer, wall of the casting-but in a'plane some distance above the drainage opening -18- for limiting the volume of water within the vat to be operated upon by the impeller 13.

The partition 23 is provided with a drain-v age opening 26 beneath and alined with the ber until it reaches the level of the overflow 25 or some distance above the bottom of the trough at which time -it will overflow into and thence outwardly throughthe drainage outlet 22 thereby limiting the quantity of the washing fluid within the vat Vto a relatively small volume which is found to be most ellicient in machines of this character notonly for washing purposes but valso for conserving the use of the water and power required for'projectingthe same- .upwardly through the dish-supporting'trays or`baskets'. .On the other hand,

essary to open the -valve 27 thereby permit ting the water to pass directly from the trough 5 through theopenings 18 'and 26 and I' thence downwardly and 'outwardly through the chamber 24 `and drainage outlet 22.

The valve 27 is-preferably of the butterily type and is arranged to open downwardly and laterally with the water pressure from 'j within the vat and to close against a suitable seat 28 consisting in this instance of a brass or equivalent annular ring or bushing which Ais secured to the walls of the opening 26.

As illustrated, the lower side ofthe valve.

27 is provided with pendant lugs pivoted at 2 9 to a suitable lever 30 which, in turn, is secured to a rock shaft 31 .at one side of the' .opening 2 6 lwith its` axis in substantially the same plane as thevalve seat 28,J the'pivotal connection 29 between the valve 27 and lever 30 permitting the valve to automatically adjust itself to its'seat. The rock shaft 31 is journaled in suitable bearings 32 in the adjacent portion of thecasting 20 to form water-tight joints therewith, see Figure 4.

The outer end of the shaft 31 extends through and beyond the adjacent portion of e the casting 20 and is secured to one arm of'a U-shaped yoke 33 having its other arm secured to a` coaxial operating shaft 34 which extends-througha suitable bushing 35 in the vadjacent portion of the" peripheral wall of a skirt extension 1- of the vat 1 and has its outer endprovided with a handle 36 by which it may be operated.

The yoke 33 extends radially from the shaft `sections 31y and 34 and constitutes what may when it is desired to drain the water from the vat it issimply nec- 1`and partly ineFigure 3. f

be termed a crankarni carrying a crank pin 37 to whichis connected one end of a coiled spring 38 having its other end attached to the yoke 33 and is movable with the yoke 33 about the axis of the anchor pin 39 to opposite sides of the axis of the shaft sections 31 and 34 for yieldingly holding the yoke'33 in its valve-closing position as shown by'full lines in Figure 6 and in its valv7opening'position as shown by dotted lines in the same figure. That' is, when the valve 36 is in its normal valve-closing position. the spring 38 will holdfthe valve in that position against the water pressure within the vat but when the operating member 36 is turned to lopen the valve-the spring 38 will pass kto the oppof site side of the axis of the shafts 31 and 34 to yieldingly hold the valve in its open position wholly at one side of the axis of the drainage openings 18 and 26, as shown by dot-A ted lines in Figure 5.

The cylindrical skirt or extension 1 of the vat is rigidly secured at itsu'p'per end to the lower end of the vat to extend downwardly therefrom to about the level of the lower ends lof the motor 6 and casting 20 for concealing and protecting the latter and also to form a convenient means for supporting the vat upon a suitable frame orlegs lf shown in Figure The outerwallof the upper chamber-24 is provided with anopening 40 at one side of the overfiow passage 25, Figure 4, for receiving the inner end of a sight tube 41 having its outer end extended through anopening in the skirt 1 and providedwith a transparent closure 42 which is held. in place by a suitable cap nut 43 to enable the user to visualize the level of the liquid within the vat, the

tube41 being inclined outwardly and upwardly at substantially the saine inclination as/the partition 23 so thatits outer'end will be at about thesame level as the overflow pas',- sage25.. v v 's Under these conditions when the water in the bottom of the vat 1 reaches the level of the overiow-25 it nwill'also flow into the sight tube 41 and be visible through the transparent that the water supply should be shut off to conserve the water.'

rounded by a downwardly -tapered flange45 in which is seated the `upperend of a water inletnipple 46 .having an annular downin the flange 45 to form a watertight-joint therewith, said nipple being provi ed with wardly tapered flange 47 fitting snugly with-v closure 42 thereby indicating to the operator The upwardly flaring bottomportion 4 of an inwardly projecting deilector 47 for deflecting the water inwardly toward the center of the vat and preventing its direct upward passage. y

The lower end of the nipple is connected to a water supply pipe 48 leading from any available source of supply and provided with a self-closing valve 49 having an operating handle 50 which is yieldingly heldin its valve closing position by a coiled spring 51, Figure 8, thus making it necessary t-o hold the valve open by hand until the required volume of water is supplied to the interior of the vat which furtherreduces the liability of wasting of the water. e

The electric motor 6 may be connected to a source of current supply in any suitable manner not necessary to herein illustrate or describe except that the current may be coatrolled by a suitable switch 52 mounted 0n the side of the skirt 1 adjacent the controls 36 and50, Figures 1 and 2.

As previously stated, the impeller blades 13" are mounted upon the lower end of the conical skirt 13 at diametrically opposite sides thereof to extend circumferentiallyfin reverse directions substantially concentric with the axis of the impeller and in slightly spaced relation to the periphery of the conical part 13 so as toallw passage of the water through the intervening spaces when the impeller is in action and thereby to avoid overloading the blades with water.

The ends of the blades facing the direction of rotation are substantially horizontal circumferentially but are inclined outwardly and upwardly radially. so as to pick up the water with a minimum resistance, the remaining portion of the blade being gradually inclined upwardly circumferentially, at a gradually increasing angle to a horizontal and are also curved outwardly and upwardly radially at a gradually increasing angle, the object of which is to confine the water within the inner and outer edges of the blades as much as possible against centrifugal throw and at the same time to'impart to the water therein an upward movement with sufficient force to carry it thru the superposed `dish supporting trays and against the dishes therein.

The impeller is in this instance adapted to be rotated in a counter-clockwise directionl when viewed from the top and owing to the peculiar construction of the blades it is evident that .the water will be icked up by both blades and gradually raised) with an accelerated motion suiicientto impel the water to the top of the vat with a more orless whirling motion thereby passing upwardly through the dish-supporting trays and against the dishes therein and returningr to the bottom of the vat by its own gravity ,to effect the washing of the dishes by the upward current and also by the downward current, it being undervthe outer end of the hub of stood that the outward and upward curvature of the impeller blades tends to retain the water thereon against undue displacement therefrom by centrifugal force.

That is, during the operation of the impeller under relatively high speed corresponding to the speed of the motor the tendency is to displace the relatively small body of water from the center toward the circumference of the vat but in order to further reduce this centrifugal swirling ofthe water I have provided a series of baffle plates 53 arranged in uniformly spaced relation circumferentially around the outside of the path of movement of the impeller blades 13 and in planes sub; stantially tangential to the lower end of the conical impeller shell 13' as shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 3.

The outer ends of these bailie plates are secured to an outer ring 54 within the bottom of the vat close to the periphery thereof while their inner ends 5,3 are reduced 'in vertical height and extended over and above the path of movement of the impellerblades 13" and are secured to an inner ring 55 surrounding the impeller, as shown more clearly in Figure 3, the extensions 53 being substantially radial to the axis ofthe impeller, and also arranged in uniformly spaced relation circumferentially, as shown in Figure 2.

rl`he upper edges of the baiiie plates 53 are substantially horizontal but the lower edges of the outer wider portions are inclined at substantially the same angle as the upwardly flaring bottom portion 4 of the vat'but in slighlv spaced relation thereto with their inner edges substantially vertical and close to the path of travel of the outer edges of the impeller blades.

It, therefore, follows that when the impeller is rotated at a relatively high rate of speed it will tend to throw the water outward deiection by both forces is substantially uniform throughout the horizontal area of the interior of the vat causing the water to implnge against the dishes in the open work trays with approximately uniform velocity and with more or less glancing impact, both upon the upward movements and also upon the return downward movements of the water, resulting in a thorough andvexpeditious :,ssasse permanently secured to the walls of the vat near the junction of the cylindrical portions with the marginal edge of the bottom portion.

4, as shown more clearl in Figures 2 and 3.

A woven wire shield 5l carried by a suitable supporting rin'g 58 is removably mounted upon the upper edges of the ballie plates 53 in a substantially horizontal position to p revent the passage of knives, forks, s cons and similar articles therethrough, which might otherwise interfere with or impair the use of the impeller.

Operation The dish-supporting trays, not shown, but commonl used in washing machines of this type, wit the dishes therein, are supported in any suitable manner within the vat 1 some distance above the path of movement of the impeller 13.`

The valvef 49 is then opened by hand and held open to permit the inflow of the washing iuid into the vat until it reaches the level of the overliow 25, as visuall indicated through the sight tube 41 at whic time the overflow will limit the height ofthe water as indicated by the dotted line ain Figure 3.

It, will be observed that the level of the overflow passage 25 is some distance below the apex of the central conical portion 3 and also in a plane below the outer marginal edge of the upwardly flaring bottom portion 4 which assures the retention of a relatively small lvolume of .water within the vat in which the impeller blades13 are movable thereby not only conserving the use of water but alsomeducing to a minimum the power required for the operation of the impeller, it

` belng understood that thesva-lve 49 is permitted to close as soon as the height 'of the water inthe vat reaches the level of the overflow.

When the water within the va has reached a maximum level as determine by the over- Atlow"'25 the motor switch 52 willbe closed to start the motor l'for rotating the impeller counter-clockwise.

This rotation of the vimpeller causes its blades 13 to throw the water upwardly through and above the dish-supporting trays with a more or less centrifugal motion. This centrifugal motion of the `'water is counteract'ed partially by the upward and outward inclination of the blades 13 and partially by impact against the bale plates 53 Which further tends to deect the water upwardly through the dish-supporting trays and against the dishes therein, this impact of the water against the dishes occurring during the upward 'projection of the 4water throu h the dish-supporting trays and also by t e return of the water from the top downwardly to the bottom of the vat for recirculation by the impeller.

-This washing operation requires onl a relatively short Aperiod of time and w en completed-the valve 27 may be opened to allow the. discharge of the water from the vat through the drainage conduit 22. If it is desired to rinse the dishes after the washin operation the valve 27 may be'again closed and the inlet valve 49 opened to allow the impeller to again circulate the water upwardly through the dish-supporting trays for dry, if desired, thus completing the washing, ,Y

rinsing and drying operations.

Iclaim: f* I 1. InV a dishwashing machine, a vat having a central upwardly tapered recess in its bottom, and a motor-supporting frame having its upper end tapered to correspond to the taper of the recess and seated therein.

2. In a dishwashing machine, a vat having its bottom provided with an upwardly tapered central portion and an outer upwardly'flaring portion united to the lower marginal edge of the central portion to form an annular trough, .a motor suspended from the apex of said central portionand provided with ashaft extending through an opening in said apex, and an impeller mounted on -the upper end of the shaft to rotate therewith in said trough, the angle of the vertex 'of the central tapered portion being not to exceed ninety degrees.

. 3. In a dishwashing machine, a vat having nal edge of the central tapered portion, a motor having a case provided with a tapered upper end seated within and against the upwardly tapered central portion and provided `with an extensionv projecting through an opening in the apex of said central tapered portion, a nut engaging the upper end of said extension and upper surface of said apex, said motor having a shaft extending upwardly through an opening in the nut, and an impeller mounted onv the upper end of the shaft to rotate therewith and.- yprovided with a downwardly Haring skirt carrying theimpeller blades-rotatable in said trough.

5. In a mechanical-dishwasher, a vat having `its bottom provided with a central upwardly tapered portion and an upwardly flaring outer ortion united to the lower marginal edge o the central portion to form an annular trough, said upwardly flaring portion having a drainage outlet near its junction with the central tapered portion, a drainage conduit having its upper end secured to the underside of said upwardly flaring portion around the drainage outlet, a partition dividing the interior of the drainage conf duit into lower and upper compartments, the upper compartment having an overflow passage in a plane some distance above the drainage outlet and discharging into the Y lower compartment., said partition having a vided with impeller blades movable in said vat tral tapered portion to form an lannular drainage opening communicating with the first-named drainage outlet, and a valve operable at will for controlling the secondnamed drainage opening.

6. In a mechanical dishwasher, a vat having its bottom provided with an .upwardly tapered central portion forming a correspondingly tapered recess in its underside, a

motor seated in said recess and provided with a shaft extending through an opening in the apex of said tapered portion and an impeller mounted on the upper end of the shaft within the vat and provided with a downwardly flaring skirt having impeller blades secured to its lower marginal edge.

7 In a mechanical ,dishwasher having its bottom provided with an upwardlytapered central -portion and an upwardly flaring outer portion united to the lower edge of the central` tapered portion to form an annular trough, a motor secured within the -upwardly impeller blades movable in said trough, and a. series of baille lates within-the vat having portions exten ed beyond the path of movement of the im eller blades and their lower edges arrange adjacent and substantially parallel with the upwardly flaring outer portion of the bottom of the vat, said portions of the baflle plates being disposed in uniformly spaced relation circumferentially of and substalllitially tangential to the skirt of the im- 'F5 e er. p In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day ofApril, 1929.

WILLARD R. WALKER.

tapered central portion and provided with a shaft extending through an opening in the'- apex thereof, an impeller mounted on the upper end of the shaft to rotate therewith and provided with a downwardly Haring skirt surrounding said central tapered portion and having its lower marginal edge protrouglh, and a series ofbaflleplates within the aving portions extended beyond the path of movement of the impeller blades and their lower edges adjacent and substantiallyl parallel with the upwardly flaring outer portion of the bottom of the vat.

8. In aV mechanical dishwasher having its bottom provided with an upwardly ltapered Acentral portion and an upwardly flaring outer portion united to the lower edge of the centrough, a motor secured within the upwardly tapered central portion and provided with a shaft extending through an opening in the -apex thereof, an impeller mounted on the upper end of the shaft to rotate therewith and provided with a downwardly fiaring skirt surrounding said central tapered portion and having its lower marginal edge provided with 

